Leland G. Hall on wed 28 may 03
Hello list;
I have been rakuing full time for several years. I work alone, no help with
kiln lids. There has been a dificulity removing bottle forms from kilns.
Particularly my top loaders. Can't get tongs down a skinny, flared neck,
and don't like trying to grab pots around tumescent (sp)bellies, or around
delicate necks. Besides, I like to be able to grab pots one handed, as
like I said, I work alone. Since I have considerable metal working skills,
I went to work on a...........
Solution:
I have invented a tool, which so far, has been extremely sucsessful for
this endeavor. These devices are not tongs or any variation of tongs. I
can lift bottle shaped forms, of any size, with this tool, one handed.
This device is particularly efficient when used with top loading kilns, and
is probably not even needed for top hat kilns, when the mature ware is
exposed more thoroughly. However, I see how a useful version could be made
for this purpose.
Questions:
Do other Rakuists see a need or demand for such a device?
Might it be worthwhile to develop this idea for manufacturing, and see if I
can make a few bucks?
Might the established ceramic supply companys be interested?
Should I try to patent this?
I am anxious to see how much interest there is this. Sure is handy for
me. I love the darn thing, and am going to be working on some variations
and different sizes.
Thanks for listening, Hope you all hav'ing a great day!!
Leland Hall
Before The Wheel Enterprises
Raku Pottery and Sculpture
La Pine, OR, USA
Dannon Rhudy on wed 28 may 03
Leland said:
.........There has been a dificulity removing bottle forms from kilns.
..... I like to be able to grab pots one handed, as
.......have invented a tool, .....has been extremely sucsessful
....> Do other Rakuists see a need or demand for such a device?......
.Bottle forms are always a challenge to remove from kilns,
especially if they are large, straight-sided with a slick glaze
(white crackle comes to mind.) They literally slip through the
tongs, often. If you have a better device than tongs for removing
them, I'd say you might well find a market for it. If you have
a decent way of removing ANYthing from a top-loader, then
all the better. I can't say that I like top-loading raku kilns under
any circumstance, though I have used them in schools -
to the detriment of eyelashes and forearms. Protection never seems
enough when one has essentially to lean across the top of such a
heat source.
Because the forms I raku are generally both large, round and
small-mouthed, I have contrived several different devices for
removing them quickly and surely from a kiln. Tongs don't work
at all forsuch shapes, so other devices that DO work are very welcome.
Really large pieces I lift out with my hands (no, no, not my BARE
hands) but I avoid that when possible. Anything that works well
might indeed be marketable. I'd think that schools might be a
particularly good target market - they necessarily want safe
methods to deal with the ever-popular raku.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
Paul Gerhold on thu 29 may 03
The solution to removing bottles or other shapes that cannot be lifted with
tongs is extremely simple and one I have been using for years. Take a flat
stainless steel plate and put handles on two sides with eyebolts at the top of
each handle. Then take a wood or metal rod and put two hooks in it spaced to
match the eyebolts. Fire the piece on the cradle and when ready remove the kiln
lid , us the handle to lift the cradle with the pot on it into the sawdust. Much
better reduction without scaring where the sawdust hits the glaze.
Paul
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